Extension
It Starts With Us
Volunteer Leadership Training and Development (HORT)
Leadership Education and Volunteer Development
Robert Brockman
Master Gardener
The horticultural community in northern Kentucky has come to expect and really look forward to a local Master Gardener Program training series. Adult volunteers want to become involved in horticulture-related volunteer opportunities. Leadership skills, knowledge of correct parliamentary procedures, and willingness to lead a group is lacking in those volunteers. Garden club members, "Friends of Boone County Arboretum" and backyard gardeners in general have requested extensive horticultural training at a nearby location, without having to go to Lexington or Cincinnati. There is also a growing demand for volunteer help related to horticulture coming from the county parks systems, the Boone County Arboretum, community gardening and beautification projects and the 3 northern KY. Extension Offices.
Developing volunteer leaders for Cooperative Extension success and expansion is critical. Ensuring individuals are competent with basic leadership skills is important to the success of any volunteer led program. Currently, many individuals lack strong, effective skills in working with others, teamwork, meeting management, and organization legalities and management. Many leaders and potential leaders also lack the basic knowledge of non-profit, volunteer led organization structure and management, including financial management.
*Environmental conditions (soil, air and water) will improve in the Northern Kentucky area as Master Gardeners help educate others and as they personally implement best management practices, stop applying excessive fertilizers, lime and pesticides, and put into practice more environmental conservation practices.
* The environment will become cleaner, safer and healthier as Master Gardeners and homeowners they work with are educated regarding proper pesticide selection and use on lawns and landscapes to prevent pesticide drift, soil and water contamination, and the over-use of pesticides in general.
* Communities and environment will improve as Master Gardeners and individuals and community organizations they work with adopt environmental conservation practices to conserve soil, clean air and water, such as mulching, composting, recycling, soil testing, rain gardens, rain barrels, using cover crops, organic pesticides (when effective), etc.
* A cleaner, safer, healthier environment will be the result of "going green", and less dependence on hazardous chemicals and their improper use on food crops. Less pollution of the air, water and soils will occur due to the Master Gardener educational outreach program.
* Property values and real estate values will increase as residential landscapes and communities are beautified and enhanced by Master Gardeners and the people they reach through new plantings of superior, colorful flowers, shrubs, and trees, and as lawns are improved as well. Property values will increase in response to proper tree pruning, correct lawn and landscape fertilizing, mowing, pest and disease control, mulching and planting techniques, resulting in healthier, faster-growing, longer-lived trees, shrubs and ornamental flowers in home and community landscapes.
*Master Gardener class participants and the backyard gardeners they work with will realize significant financial saving or gain, increased profits or a higher standard of living resulting from implementing Extension horticulture recommendations taught through the Master Gardener program, as individuals learn how to be more efficient, acquire specific job skills or even a better job, lower their energy consumption, conserve and become better managers of their resources. Those doing their own home landscaping, lawn care and gardening will save money by learning to better manage their plants and thereby reduce the need for some of the costly pesticides, and by not applying unnecessary lime and fertilizers, based on soil test results.
* Less of the family food budget will be spent on purchased food, as more individuals learn to grow their own fresh produce at home.
*The personal and professional lives of Master Gardeners and their communities at large will be enhanced as individuals and working teams gain decision-making skills, life skills, problem-solving skills, improved communication and leadership skills as they grow in knowledge and confidence, and as they take a more active role in addressing significant community issues and as they offer more volunteer service hours to their community.
*Trained volunteers will step forward and become elected officers on local boards and committees, and will become leaders in their communities.
*Social gatherings for outreach, education and support will include groups of trained Extension volunteers and Master Gardeners who share a common interest and common bond through horticulture and community engagement and improvement.
* Social and family interaction will involve more discussion and shared time relating to gardening activities as Master Gardeners promote this.
*Non-profit organizations will benefit financially and aesthetically as Master Gardeners volunteer time and leadership on horticulture related projects. These same organizations will benefit from leadership skills and talents developed through Cooperative Extension Service programming and education.
*The overall quality and beauty of parks trees, arboretum trees, school landscapes, city plantings, and Extension Office grounds will improve, and landscapes will become more attractive from well-designed plantings and maintenance provided by Master Gardener volunteers.
*More highly educated and experienced workers will enter the "Green Industry" workforce.
*Environmental protection and conservation will be enhanced as more people become aware of how they can help.
*The Cooperative Extension Service will benefit by having access to a highly trained pool of volunteers to help with horticulture-related classes, workshops, demonstrations, projects and teaching materials and Extension activities in general.
* The health and general well-being of the trained volunteers, their families and other individuals they work with will improve.
*Communities will become healthier and safer as individuals realize personal health benefits (i.e., stress relief, locally growing and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, personal weight loss when needed, better overall health, more personal satisfaction in life, etc.) due to working with plants, gardening, observing nature, enhancing and beautifying the environment, finding a fulfilling job they enjoy, and implementing safer practices relating to the use of equipment and pesticides. More people will receive health benefits such as weight loss and stress relief as they get more outdoor exercise, fresh air and sunshine from working in their own lawn, landscape and flower beds as a pleasant pastime or hobby, as they receive guidance, leadership and encouragement from the Master Gardeners.
*Community health and safety will improve as Extension trained volunteer leaders provide positive examples and share their talents and time to improve the community through projects, workshops, and individual interaction.
* Extension-related, volunteer-led entitities will operate within a legal and ethical framework and develop future leaders for program succession and success.
Practices:
*Extension trained volunteers will gain personal confidence as they learn about leadership skills and parliamentary procedures, and will begin to consider stepping into community leadership roles.
*Those involved in the Master Gardener program and the Arboretum "Friends" group will change how they select plants, and how they prune, fertilize, mulch, water, and control pests. As they change these practices, they will become more environmentally responsible.
*Participants will start to choose and plant varieties that are known to be resistant to pests and adapted to the local site conditions (soil, moisture, sunlight, drainage, etc.). This will lead to plant longevity and success in the landscape with minimal pesticide application.
*Extension-trained volunteers will effectively conduct meetings and transparently, ethically, and legally operate non-profit organizations in which they are actively involved.
KOSA:
*Volunteer leaders will learn skills in pruning and plant and insect identification through hands-on activities. They will learn plant diagnostic skills.
*Volunteer leaders' opinions will change as they learn that many of their current beliefs have now been disproven through research... i.e., the use of "wound dressing" on tree wounds has been proven to be harmful to the plant.
*Trained volunteers will acquire basic background knowledge of biology, soils, plant pathology, entomology, fruit science, olericulture (vegetables), landscape horticulture, turfgrass science, and floriculture. This basic knowledge will help them make correct diagnoses and make wise choices as volunteers and as professionals in the horticultural world.
*Students in schools will become more knowledgeable about and interested in trees, shrubs, flowers, fruits and vegetables as Master Gardeners get involved in school projects.
*The Northern KY. Master Gardener Association and the Arboretum "Friends" group will get stronger leadership as volunteers learn parliamentary procedure and gain leadership skills.
*Trained volunteers will employ their knowledge to more effectively serve in leadership roles in Extension-supported groups and organizations. This will include improved financial processes, information transparency, and communication skills.
EVALUATION:
Outcome: More volunteers will serve in leadership roles in their community.
Indicator: Local groups, boards and associations will be led by Master Gardeners and Arboretum "Friends" volunteers as they assume a more involved role in leadership activities. Extension-trained volunteer leadership will serve as officers and committee chairs in their own organizations and in community groups.
Method: Observation of volunteer involvement in the Northern Kentucky Master Gardener Association, the "Friends of Boone Co. Arboretum", and other community groups. Observation of trained Extension volunteers.
Timeline: on-going, over the next 5-10 years (long-term)
Outcome: Improve the overall health and beauty of landscapes in parks, schools, city projects, and other non-profit enterprises.
Indicator: Appearance of landscapes, comments from observers and school teachers involved with Master Gardener projects.
Method: Students will be asked to provide Extension with a written record of what horticultural beautification projects and educational activities they are involved in each year.
Timeline: On-going, as Master Gardener projects are completed.
Outcome: Master Gardeners will get involved in social interaction groups for support on horticulture related projects. A Northern KY. Master Gardener Association was formed, and now meets regularly and puts on educational programs and fundraisers, now serving all Master Gardeners.
Indicator: The number of people joining garden clubs and the Master Gardener Association.
Method: Annual survey of Master Gardeners.
Timeline: December 2025.
Outcome: Students will learn new skills relating to pruning and plant identification and proper use in the landscape.
Indicator: A midterm exam and a final exam are indicators of on-going learning during the class. Attendance of Master Gardeners at other (voluntary) horticulture-related classes will help indicate their continued interest and desire to learn. Follow-up surveys from those classes will indicate what new skills were learned and put into practice.
Method: Tests and exams during class; written follow-up surveys.
Timeline: December 2024 through April 2025 then on-going with each class survey.
Outcome: Volunteers will plan ahead for meetings, setting agendas, providing documents in advance for meeting attendees, and ensuring all are informed and all opinions matter when deciding organization actions.
Indicator: Organization members verbally acknowledge receipt of important meeting information and are prepared for meetings and events. Meetings function efficiently and consume the reasonable amount of time needed to effectively conduct the business of the organization.
Method: Observation and written.
Timeline: Observation at organized advisory council meeting, written response survey of council leaders in May 2025
Audience: Master Gardener candidates often come from garden clubs, civic organizations, or "green industry" stores. They are individuals who have a keen interest in gardening as a hobby, or who grew up on a farm, or have had previous courses related to horticulture. We often get retired people, although others take off work or take vacation to attend the class. We get more females than males.
Education:
Audience: Master Gardener Candidates
Activity: 1-15 weeks of in-depth classes, each lasting 3-4 hours, and including a mid-term exam and a Final Exam.
Content or Curriculum: Sessions on a wide range of topics, including botany, soils, plant pathology, entomology, fruits, vegetables, annual and perennial flowers, landscape trees and shrubs and their care, lawns, composting, landscape design, etc.
Date: 1-15 weeks, starting December 2024 and continuing through early April 2025. Repeats yearly, rotating between Boone, Campbell and Kenton Counties. Agents and horticulture assistants also help teach each year, regardless of location. In Campbell County in 2024-2025
Activity: Hands-on Master Gardener Projects and Internships
Content or Curriculum: Various horticulture related projects, activities, demonstrations and teaching sessions conducted by the Master Gardeners to earn their required hours of service to non-profit organizations. Master Gardeners will help lead arboretum tours for school groups, will be responsible for the "Ask A Master Gardener" booth at Boone County Public Libraries and Farmers Markets and County Fair, and will be involved in many arboretum volunteer projects, plus projects at the Historic Dinsmore Home in the county.
Supervised training at volunteer work days at the Extension Office "Dig Party Thursday's" and "Dig in the Dirt" activities at the arboretum, Arboretum Children's Garden maintenance, Horticulture Demonstration Garden at the Nature Center, Hike the Trails Program at the Nature Center and youth activities (Fall, 2023 and Spring, 2024).
Date: Monthly, throughout the year, especially spring and fall.
Inputs:
The N. KY. Master Gardener Program is a team effort between the horticultural agents and hort technicians in Boone, Campbell, and Kenton County Extension Offices. All are involved as Directors in planning and conducting the overall program. U.K. Extension Specialists also help teach some of the classes, especially Plant Pathology and Entomology. We use the Kentucky Master Gardener Manual, plus many supplemental handouts created and provided by the speaker of the day.
Audience: Volunteers in the "Friends of Boone County Arboretum" organization.
Education: Various learning opportunities related to increasing leadership skills and improving horticultural knowledge so the volunteers can effectively lead and teach other gardeners, as indicated by specific classes listed below.
Activity: Community Garden in Florence
Content or Curriculum: Master Gardeners will be involved in the care of a community garden at the Florence location of the Boone County Extension Enrichment Center. They will also be involved in the teaching of classes geared towards underserved audiences.
Date: July 2024 onward
Inputs:
The N. KY. Master Gardener Program is a team effort between the horticultural agents and hort technicians in Boone, Campbell, and Kenton County Extension Offices. All are involved as Directors in planning and conducting the overall program. U.K. Extension Specialists also help teach some of the classes, especially Plant Pathology and Entomology. We use the Kentucky Master Gardener Manual, plus many supplemental handouts created and provided by the speaker of the day.
Inputs for the Arboretum Friends Group include the Extension horticulture agent, both horticulture technicians, the Arboretum director, curator, and summer interns.
Activity: Leadership and parliamentary procedure training and guidance at the meetings of the Arboretum Friends group and the N. KY. Master Gardener Association. Work one-on-one with individuals, encouraging them to become officers in the organizations, then providing them with the tools and resources they need to function effectively in a leadership role.
Inputs: Horticulture Agent and Hort Technician, plus past officers of this and other organizations. Literature on "Parliamentary Procedure & How to Conduct a Meeting" from the University of Kentucky.
Author: Robert Brockman
Major Program: Master Gardener
Volunteer leaders are essential for Extension to extend our presence throughout the community. The Master Gardener program is not just a training that allows gardeners to learn new skills, it is a way for gardeners to build community and help the public through volunteering.Many of our Master Gardeners have been volunteers with us for years, helping to maintain demonstration gardens, write gardening articles for the public, teach horticulture classes, and much more. These Master Gardeners love t
